A DISTURBING new survey of Scottish children has found that more than a third of pupils are victims of racial abuse at school.

The online survey, carried out by a charity, Children in Scotland, found the majority of pupils – 58 per cent – had witnessed verbal abuse about a person’s race, and 35 per cent had experienced verbal abuse themselves.

Nearly 14 per cent had suffered physical violence, 21 per cent had seen racist graffiti about themselves and almost half of all respondents had experience of some form of racism.

Selma Rahman, the equal futures co-ordinator for Children in Scotland, said racism was a sad fact of life for many children growing up in this country.

“We are talking about racist comments that can make their lives a misery. We have to think about how young people are treated in the classroom and the playground. Many Scots say they are not racist, but there is unintentional racism which enters the psyche.”

The vast majority of youngsters interviewed were aged between 11 and 16 from a variety of schools across Scotland, and they were asked about racial incidents – both physical and verbal.

Of the 192 children and young people who responded to the survey, 28 per cent had witnessed incidents of physical abuse and 37 per cent had seen racist graffiti.

According to the report, children from black or Asian backgrounds were more likely to have been bullied because of their race than their white peers. Some 80 per cent of the respondents were white children born in Scotland, compared to 8 per cent who were Asian and four per cent who were black.

Kay Hampton, the deputy chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality added: “Racist taunts and abuse continue to blight the lives of too many Scottish children and young people as the Children in Scotland research shows.

“We want them all to have the best start in life and be able to get the most from their education.”

Today, the Scottish Executive is holding an Equal Futures conference in Glasgow, to raise awareness on the issue of race and ethnicity. More than 600 children and policy-makers will gather to explore the changes following the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

New legislation means that schools which fail to crack down on racism are to be named and shamed by government inspectors. Under the plans, every school will have to introduce a policy on race by 2004. It will cover ways to improve the exam results of pupils from ethnic backgrounds, reduce racist attacks and include race issues in the curriculum.

Schools that fail to improve race relations will be criticised in reports by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, and local authorities which do not bring schools into line could be taken to court.

Peter Peacock, the minister for education and young people said: “The Executive is committed to equality for all and a key part of that is promoting racial equality and tackling racism in all aspects of Scottish life.

“Children must be included in those efforts if we are to ensure that future generations are not blighted by the ill-informed prejudice of the past, and create a Scotland where people are accepted for who they are and not judged or held back in life by the colour of their skin, or by their culture or religion.”

Changes to the law follow a rise in racist bullying and concern about the poor exam results of black and Asian pupils.

Racism claim by star’s father

THE father of “pop idol” Darius Danesh is to claim he was a victim of race discrimination by a Glasgow hospital authority.

Dr Booth Danesh, formerly a consultant gastro-enterologist at Glasgow’s Stobhill Hospital, has formally lodged a complaint of unfair dismissal and racial discrimination against the North Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust.

Iranian-born Dr Booth, who is aged 55, moved to Scotland more than 25 years ago. He qualified for the medical profession in Dublin in 1969.

He has lodged his complaint at the Central Office of Employment Tribunals in Glasgow.

Raised in the up-market Glasgow suburb of Bearsden, Darius gained his fame after appearing on the television talent show Popstars, which also led to the manufactured pop group Hear’Say and then Pop Idol which was first won in 2001 by Will Young.

Darius has since gone on to top the charts with his single Colour Blind.

His mother Avril is also a doctor – but in general practice.

No date for the tribunal hearing has yet been set.